American History to 1877 - Unit 1

Why is 1492 significant?

Christopher Columbus stumbles upon what they though was America

Columbian Exchange

When first getting to the New World, both the Europeans and the Natives benefitted from trade

The Age of Discovery

A phase of European history that involved better technology, religious motives, the rise of the nation state, economic motives, and spirit of the age

Significance of better technology in the Age of Discovery

navigational devices, compass and quadrant, better marine technology, printing press

Metallurgy

smelting and working metals

Rise of the Nation State

improved resources and rivalry; Portugal first, Spain next, then France and England

Spirit of the Age

Renaissance; the rise of new knowledge inquisitiveness, and the desire to prove oneself on Earth rather than in the afterlife

Religious motives

Martin Luther criticizes Catholicism, and causes Protestant reformation

Economic motives

dominant - extreme search for better trade routes

Demarcation line

dividing line of new discoveries between Spain and Portugal, passing through the Eastern tip of South America

Christopher Columbus

Italian, latecomer, skilled sailor

Spanish efforts in the New World

settlements in the south; Juan Ponce de Leon - Florida; Hernando DeSoto - Mississippi; Cortes - Mexico; Pizarro - conquers Inca

Holland and France efforts in the New World

Henry Hudson - located the Hudson river; Father Marquette - descended the Mississippi river, first European contact with Iowa

English efforts in the New World

John Cabot - Newfoundland; attempt to colonize Roanoke Island; Jamestown founded in 1607, which began successful colonization

Economic pull factors of founding the English colonies

national rivalries, mercantilism, profit, a better life

Mercantilism

economic system of trade

Economic push factors of founding the English colonies

agricultural change (enclosure of the common fields that many small farmers used), overcrowding population in Europe

How did they combat overcrowding in Europe?

repressive legal system (death sentence), limits on inheritance

Religious motives of founding the English colonies

creation of the Anglican church by Henry VIII - people wanted to remain Catholic but would be killed

John Calvin

tried to purify the Anglican church

Separists

radical group of Calvinists who didn’t believe they could reframe the Anglican church (pilgrims)

Quakers

pacifist radical group against Anglican church

Political motives of founding the English colonies

national rivalries in Spain, English civil war

Other factors for founding the English colonies

adventure and family connections

The Southern Colonies

Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia

New England

Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire

The Middle Colonies

New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware

Virginia

joint stock companies, founding of Jamestown

Maryland

Chesapeake, Calvert family, Catholic haven, proprietary colony

North Carolina

economy of grain and livestock, which was not very valuable

South Carolina

economy of rice and indigo, which was very valuable

Georgia

last of the mainland colonies, humanitarian and focused on giving people new opportunities

Massachusetts

pilgrims settle in 1620, Massachusetts Bay Company, the first Thanksgiving

Massachusetts Bay Company

John Winthrop preaches “a city upon a hill”, a shining Puritan society that will be a model to the country of England in hopes of them following

Rhode Island

Roger Williams criticized how the Puritans treated Native people’s as well as other Puritan ways, and he founded Providence

Connecticut

expansion of Massachusetts

New Hampshire

expansion of Massachusetts

New York

originally Dutch, but many wanted to remain in Holland, which led to it being the most diverse colony as other countries migrated

New Jersey

good farm land, “the garden state”

Pennsylvania

William Penn created a haven for Quakers and advertised to Europe and recruited many Germans and Scots-Irish

Delaware

settles by Swedes, acquired by Dutch, then English; early Lutherans; brought new housing types

Qualities of the Spanish colonies

centralized government, rigid control of the government, no religious toleration, little migration

Qualities of the French colonies

centralized government, rigid control of the economy, no religious toleration, little migration

Qualities of the English colonies

little centralized government, little control of the economy, considerable religious toleration, heavy migration causing rapid population growth

The importance of purpose in New England

the church was extremely important, attendance was required and rights were based on church membership; education was also importance because literacy was needed to read the bible; the government could enforce religious beliefs

Secularization in New England

Puritans didn’t believe everyone was bound to heaven, controversy was sparked on whether the children of “Saints” would be baptized into church membership; settled with the halfway covet

Demography of New England

migration for religious reasons tend to be by family, relatively even sex ratio

Economy of New England

small family farms, self-sufficiency

Qualities of the Middle Colonies

mostly economic migration, striking ethnic diversity, economy of farming, family migration

Qualities of the Southern Colonies

economic migration (tobacco), indentured servants, decentralized society, less marriage, disease climate, less religious influence, less emphasis on education

Demands of tobacco

quickly exhausts soil, causing Europeans to take more land from Natives and causes a shift to bound labor

Indentured servants

Europeans who agreed to work for 4-7 years in return for a passage to America, but eventual shift to slaves from Africa

Power of the purse

held by the lower house, essentially whoever has the money/power to use money

French and Indian war

begins over the control of the Ohio River Valley, fought in America, settled by the Treaty of Paris in 1763

Treaty of Paris in 1763

Britain took Canada and Florida from Spain, Britain returned the French West Indies, and France gave Louisiana to Spain

Legacy of problems from the French and Indian war

British contempt for American troops and vice versa, some Americans continued to trade with the French West Indies, disagreement of control of new areas, and Britain’s debt

Pontiac’s Rebellion

uprising of Native tribes against British rule, tension between the two increases

Proclamation of 1763

ended the Seven Years’ War by reserving lands west of the Appalachians for Natives, issued by King George III

Sugar Act

British lowered taxes to protect British sugar farmers

Currency Act

limited money printing

Stamp Act

an internal tax that extended taxes on stamps from England to America, causing uprise from colonists, specifically non-importation of British goods

“no taxation without representation”

colonists believed they deserved direct representation, while British argued for virtual representation, increasing tension

Declaratory Act

parliament legislates for colonies in all matters whatsoever, increasing tension

Quartering Act

required American colonies to provide housing and supplies for British colonies and troops, increasing tension

Townshend Acts

a series of laws passed by the British aimed at taxing goods imported to the American colonies; eventually all duties were repealed, except on tea

The Boston Massacre

1770; someone random calls for fire on the colonists, used as propaganda and patriotism

Tea Act

changed the way in which tea was marketed in order to help British merchants; made it cheaper to buy British tea and pay the tax than to smuggle tea

Coercive Acts

George III’s attempt to control Patriots, called the Intolerable Acts by Americans

Port of Boston Act

punishment on Boston for the Boston Tea Party, closed the port

Massachusetts Act

restricted Massachusetts’ self-governance

Administration of Justice Act

allowed for trials to be moved to different courts

1st Continental Congress

protested legality, caused military preparations

Continental Association

applied economic pressure against Britain more intensely than ever before

The Battle of Lexington

first battle of the American Revolution, “shots heard around the world”

Why Revolution?

unpopular British policies became issues in American politics, development and spread of republican ideology (less government involvement), and the momentum of events (domino effect of economic resistance, violence, and etc)

“in” vs. “out” groups

the inside groups in power defending their policies vs. the outside groups attacking to become the “in” group

Real Whigs

believed concentration of power threatened liberties, and people need to resist governments that seek too much power